1. Rock and Roll- Led Zeppelin – “Been a long time, been a long lonely lonely time”. This is the standard that all rock songs are measured against.
2. Rock n Roll- Lou Reed-“One fine mornin’, she puts on a New York station
and she couldn’t believe what she heard at all”. Lou Reed is the classic outsider that becomes cool- He should not be a rock star, he is short and awkward and not smooth as a singer- but he gives it all and throws N.Y.C grit in every beat. His music makes you feel like you are walking down a dark city street.
3. Rock n Roll ain’t noise pollution- AC DC– The lead singer Bon Scott has died and the critics were ready to bury the rest of the band with him. This tragic loss fueled the energy of “Back in Black”and this track is like a big -F U- to all the haters. To go on and even to reach a new level when losing a lead singer is an almost impossible feat in the history of rock.
4. I know it’s only Rock n Roll but I like it– The Rolling Stones- Simple and hypnotic. No fuss or additives thrown in. It’s only Rock n Roll but I like it says it all.
5. [ nothing here yet] I don’t have a fifth song because I wanted something that is powerful enough to sit at the table with the other four songs and hang out. There are some that could drop by for a quick visit and maybe grab a slice of pizza with these guys…but nothing that would be able to really hang out ‘till 3 in the morning when the 5th shot of tequila makes the rounds.
Warren Haynes and Dave Matthews
Memories of SVR
Today would have been the 58th birthday of Stevie Ray Vaughan, it has been 22 years since the helicopter crash outside of Chicago that ended his run. I was fortunate to catch his shows a couple times. Stevie Ray was a blues man, which means you had to see him live. Blues on any recording just does not match the power of being at a live show. I will say that again…you have not heard blues until you have seen a real master performing in person. There is an energy that can’t be explained only experienced.
He played at JB’s Theatre in Albany N.Y with his brother’s band The Fabulous Thunderbirds warming up. I waited outside in the rain for tickets and got in early and stood in the front row leaning against the stage. I was only inches away from the Wah Wah pedal duct-taped to the stage…I knew the stories…This was Jimi Hendrix’s Wah Wah pedal!!! Jimi’s pedal and it was almost close enough to reach out and touch…but I could not break the sanctity and just remained awestruck. I was a bit disappointed that Stevie Ray was wearing a floppy “French-guy” hat instead of the cowboy hat he was known for. I would later learn of him fighting his demons of drugs and alcohol and seeking a more spiritual life. I don’t know at what stage in this battle I found him, I just know that losing this trademark part of his image meant something.
The thing I took away from the show was the complete dissociation from this world that took hold of him when he leaned back into a solo. I can see it now as I reflect on it…he was somewhere else. The fluid cascading waterfall of sound that happened when he leaned back was something. He really could care less if he was playing for 50,000 people or 20 people or no people at all, he was gone. He did get to his version of “Little Wing” which for me was the highlight. I never saw Jimi live….but I don’t think I would trade this moment away for it.
Happy Birthday “Killer”
Starting this wordpress site on rock music got me thinking about the timeline of rock music. You know the proverbial “where did it all start?”
I’m not going back to the “Crossroads” with Robert Johnson although I want to because blues is the foundation of so much great music. I am also not buying “Rock around the Clock” with Bill Haley and the Comets. That song is just a little too processed to be the beginning. 1957 and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by the conflicted Wildman of Louisiana-Jerry Lee Lewis, born today in 1935-is where it all starts. The story is well known about the marriage to his 13 year old cousin that burned out his rise to fame very quickly. He was the first great character, kicking his chair across stage, playing piano with his feet. The “Killer” (that is his nickname) put on a show. The “Killer” is still putting on shows….he has outlived countless equally possessed souls who followed him down that path to stardom. From Buddy Holly to Lynyrd Skynyrd in plane crashes. Overdoses of Jimi Hendrix to Amy Whinehouse. Suicides of Kurt Cobain and Michael Hutchence…the list of the fallen goes on and on (This blog plans to get to a lot of these). Jerry Lee survives to celebrate his 77th birthday and that says something about how the fire in your soul can keep you burning. “Great balls of fire” must keep you burning even longer…Rock on Jerry!
Rock is Dead?
“Well now, everything dies, baby, that’s a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City”
Echoes of this old Springsteen song reverberate through the cave as I think about the death of Rock music .
Rock is Dead! -Has been heard plenty as one era fades to the next. “Hell, I have said it myself!” – When you say that the music is dead, you are really saying that the music that I once enjoyed is no longer relevant. And maybe “enjoyed” is not the right word…rock music connects on a deeper level than that. Music keeps flowing and changing. Rock has died many times but it keeps coming back. Each generation and each new sub-culture brings it back and retools it. I don’t think it changes and morphs smoothly to let everyone adjust… it stops breathing and gets shocked back to life. One group of fans has to let go in order for a new group to grab on to it again.
Welcome to the Cave!
I have been listening to rock music for so long that a lot of what I know has gone from the relevant to the relic. It requires a little digging in the caves of forgotten “cool” music to dig it up. I started way, way back with British bands like Slade and T-Rex…moved smoothly through Led Zeppelin and Lynyryd Skynyrd…got a little funky with Little Feat and The Talking Heads…found my soul band with the Clash…that lead me towards L.A with “X” and that emerging crazy bunch known as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I fought against the “fad” of hip-hop for years and years finally breaking down recently with the Wu-Tang Clan. All these groups were relevant for the time they were in.
I have no clue what a great band is right now. It really depends on the listener themselves. If you are convinced that Molly Hatchet is the best band to ever sweat profusely under stadium lights, then to you they are. Music is a personal thing. Believe me, if that is you- I will try to help you develop a more rounded taste of music. You should enjoy other things……AND NOT OTHER THINGS JUST LIKE MOLLY HATCHET…..I mean other things that are good and relevant to your life and soul.
And maybe that is the last thing this blog wants to be about…what do you listen to when you reach the point that you don’t have an idea what is going on anymore? When none of “new” stuff makes any sense. Do you just give up and only load Nickelback and Justin Bieber on the 3 generations ago ipod that you still have trouble finding the volume button on. Or do you step out into this brave new world and find some “now” good music.
I want to go into this cave that is ancient music and drag some relics out…but I also want to find things from today that are worthy to be painted on these walls.
Cave of Fame 